Arrowhead

Sagittaria sagittifolia

About

Arrowhead is a tall, aquatic plant that is often found in shallow water or along the margins of slow-moving watercourses. It is in bloom from June to September, displaying small, white flowers, but it is the arrow-shaped leaves which are most distinctive. Like other aquatic plants, it offers resting and sheltering places for aquatic insects like dragonflies and damselflies.

How to identify

Arrowhead has arrow-shaped emergent leaves, rounded leaves near the water's surface and narrow leaves underneath the water. Its small, white flowers have dark centres and sit in clusters at the ends of the stems.

Where to find it

Common in England and Northern Ireland.

When to find it

June

July

August

September

How can people help

Human activity, including the drainage of land for agriculture and development, has resulted in the disappearance of many of the UK's wetlands. The Wildlife Trusts are working closely with planners, developers and farmers to ensure our wetlands are protected. You can help too: add native plants and flowers, such as Arrowhead, to a wildlife-friendly pond and its margins, and provide shelter for amphibians and nectar for insects. In partnership with the RHS, The Wildlife Trusts' Wild About Gardens initiative can help you plan your wildlife garden.